Olympic boxing champion Claressa Shields to make pro debut in November

• Two-times Olympic champ to make pro debut on 19 November

• Shields is only American boxer to win consecutive Olympic golds

• Middleweight will make her debut on Kovalev-Ward undercard

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Claressa Shields, who at the Rio Games became the first American boxer to win consecutive Olympic gold medals, announced on Tuesday she is turning professional.

The 21-year-old from Flint, Michigan – a winner in 77 of her 78 amateur fights – will make her pro debut on the undercard of the Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward show at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 19 November.

Related: Claressa Shields wins second straight Olympic boxing gold for USA

“After working hard for so many years and having the honor to represent my country at two Olympic Games, I am thrilled to take the next big step in my career, fighting professionally and leading the rise of women’s boxing worldwide,” Shields said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Shields has yet to sign with a promoter and will be making her debut as a free agent, a representative for the fighter confirmed to the Guardian.

“It’s a one-fight deal,” Shields’ co-manager Mark Taffet said. “There’s no long-term commitment. We made a deal with Roc Nation and Main Events to be a part of the biggest fight of the year.”

The middleweight, who captured her first gold medal as a 17-year-old at London 2012, lived up to her world No1 ranking in the 75kg division with a unanimous-decision win over second-seeded Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands on the final day of the Rio Olympics.

The rematch of the middleweight final at May’s world championships in Astana sealed a fourth consecutive global title for the Michigan native.

Shields’ lone career defeat came at the 2012 world championships against Great Britain’s Savannah Marshall, who went on to win the title. From that point, Shields closed her amateur career with 51 straight victories over four years including back-to-back titles at the Olympics, worlds and Pan American Games.